Scaffold clamp



March 15, 1960 A. J. SEVACHKO SCAFFOLD CLAMP Original Filed Oct. 14, 1952 IN V EN TOR. Alex (I Severe/7K0 A TTORNE Unite SCAFFOLD CLAMP Alex J. Sevachko, Youngstown, Ohio 2 1 Claim. (Cl. 144-297) This application is a substitute for my abandoned application Serial No. 314,609, filed October 14, 1952.

This invention relates to a scaffolding and more particularly to a clamp enabling scaffolding to be formed from a plurality of 2 x 4s or the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a clamp by which a plurality of 2 x 4s or similar pieces of lumber may be joined to form a unitary scaffold member. r

A further object of the invention is the provision of a scaffold clamp that is simple and inexpensive in construction and readily applied to a plurality of pieces of lumber to temporarily join them in the formation of a scaffold member.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a scatford clamp that permits the use of lumber in scaffolding and its later reuse in a building.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a scaffold clamp that holds the lumber used in a scaffold in side-by-side alignment and prevents the warping thereof which would otherwise render the lumber unsatisfactory for further use.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a scalford clamp that will hold several pieces of lumber such as 2 x 4s in an effective scaffold member such as a plank and prevent their accidental disengagement from the assembly thereby rendering the scaffold safe at all times.

The scaffold clamp shown and described herein is particularly useful in the formation of the plank-like members of scaffolds upon which workmen stand or walk. Several 2 x 4s, 2 x 6s or 2 x 8s which are commonly used in building constructions may be joined in side-by-side relation by the clamp disclosed herein to form an effective scaffold member without damaging the 2 x 4s in any way and at the same time hold them in straight position and thereby enable them to be used in the building construction after the scaffolding is torn down.

The scaffold clamp shown herein and two variations thereof serve to form a complete scaffold assembly both as to the running plank-like sections thereof, the corner sections and the end-to-end extensions.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an end portion of a scaffold member formed with the scaffold clamp.

. Figure 2 is a composite view in perspective of the scaffold clamp shown in Figure 1.

tates Patent i Figure 3 is a top plan view of a scaffold comer show; ing a modified form of scaffold clamp joining the scaffold members to one another.

Figure 4 is a composite view in perspective of the modified scaffold clamp shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side view of a modified scaffold clamp holding two scaffold members in overlapping end-to-end relation.

By referring to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that a plurality of pieces of lumber such as 2 x 4s are shown in side-by-side assembly and generally indicated by the numberal 10 and form a planklike scaffold member. The plurality of pieces of lumber 10 are held in side-by-side relation under tension by a scaffold clamp comprising an elongated U-bolt 11 having a pair of oppositely disposed tubular members 12--12 positioned thereon and engaging the upper and lower surfaces of the pieces of lumber 10. A pair of end plates 13-13 provided with spaced openings 14-14 are also engaged on the arms of the U-bolt 11 and butterfly nuts 15--15 are threadably engaged on threadedv ends 1616 of the U-bolt 11 to enable trans- It will be observed that the over-all length of the tubular members 12-12 is less than that of the over-all width of the several pieces of lumber 10. For example, five pieces of lumber comprising 2 x 4's having a total width of less than twenty inches are effectively clamped together as shown in Figure 1 by the scaffold clamp when the tubular members 12-12 are 17% inches long.

The same assembly will join three pieces of lumber of 2 x 6 dimension plus one 2 x 2 or two pieces of lumber 2 x 10 inches or two 2 x 8 pieces plus one 2 x 4. In other words, any combination of various standard commercial lumber sections may be effectively used to form a scaffold plank member of approximately 20 inches width with the scaffold clamp, the principal clamping motion being sidewardly through the pieces and in some degree vertically due to the formation of the clamp itself.

Two obvious modifications of the clamp will enable it to be used in joining overlapping end sections of scaffolding members to form a right angle corner, as shown in Figure 3, the modification of the clamp being illustrated in the perspective view of Figure 4 and wherein the U-bolt has the arm sections relatively further apart than the clamp used in Figures 1 and 2 and heretofore described.

In Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings the U-bolt is in- I dicated by the numeral 17, the arms thereof are relatively far apart; for example, a distance sufficient. to receive between them two pieces of lumber each two inches thick in superimposed relation. The U-bolt 17 is of sufficient length to extend on a diagonal line across the corner as, for example, where five sections of 2 x 4s in each scaffold member are positioned in overlapping comer-like formation the 2 x 4's being indicated by the numerals 10 and 20, respectively.

It will be observed that triangular corner pieces 18-18 having spaced openings 1919 therein are engageable upon the U-bolt 17, as best shown in Figure 3, so that butterfly nuts 21 may be used to clamp the assembly together. The U-bolts are also provided with tubular members 2222 which are placed one above and one below the assembled pieces of lumber 10 and 24}. It will be observed that the tubular members 2222 are shorter in length than the U-bolts 17 so that longitudinal clamp ing action is possible.

In Figure 5 two end sections of plank-like scaffold members may be joined to one another to form an Patented Mar. 15, 1960.

3 elongated scaffold member by the use of a clamp similar to that shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. In Figure 5 of the drawings two scaffold members are indicated by the numerals 23 and 24 and may obviously each comprise a plurality of 2 x 4s .or similar/sections of lumber and-they are joined to one zanotherin even i, lapping end-to-end position by :a clamp comprising'n 4 several pieces of lumber are nailed together in connection with wooden cross pieces of .cleats as has heretofore been customary.

Having thus described my'inventiomwhat I claim is: A scafiold clamp comprising an elongated U-bolt, a pair of tubular members positioned one on each of the arms of the U-bolt, said tubular members being shorter U bolt ZSQoppositely disposed end plates 26 andbn'tterfly nuts 27. Longitudinally extending tubu'lari members 28- 28 are provided and compare with the tubular memdescribed herein may be effectively used to 01m seafiold. plank members from various sections ofylumber and without injuring the same in any way and :thereby enabling them :to later be used "in the construction and avo d the waste of utilizing lumber solely ,for scafiolding. purposes. a a

The scaffold thus formed is safe and relatively light in sveight and-capable of being easily handled. The'several pieces of lumber will not pull apart as in the ease where than said U-bolt, and a pair of apertured end plates which are triangular'in cross section positioned inspaced relation to one another and movable along said U-bolt, the

apertures in said end plates being spaced longitudinally thereof to enable the clamp to be positioned diagonally across superimposed pairs of groups of pieces of 111mber with the sides of said end plates engaging the adjacent sides of said superimposed pairs of groups of pieces of lumber, and nuts'threadably engaged on the ends of the arms of the U-bolt for moving one of said end plates relative to said U-bolt;

References Cited in the :file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 ,255,270 Pimm Sept. 9, 19.41

Wansbrough-et a1. Sept. 9, 1879 sens s 

